I Knew Him Before
by dantesdarkqueen
Summary: He stole my heart anew, at the end of his Masamune...I have remained beside him all this time, unwilling to abandon him to HER clutches... One of the untold stories of Sephiroth's past.
1. For Peace I Accept Hell

**Summary: **Based off a poem I wrote for class, this is the untold story of a woman from Wutai, the woman who captured the General's heart before he ever knew of Jenova... The woman who refuses to leave him, even after she was forced to move on...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII, I don't own Sephiroth, Zack, Cloud, or any of the other canon characters mentioned herein. Jalei and any other original characters, as well as this whole damn idea, are wholly my own. No excuse for it.

**Queen's Quornor: **Yeah, I know. Yet another OC written by dantesdarkqueen. Really, I wasn't planning on making this one anything more than the original poem, and keeping that one to myself. However, one of my classmates made the comment that she'd like to see this as more than just a two-page poem, more specifically as a novel or short story. That idea just would not leave me alone, and while I tried my damndest to write the next chapters for some of my other fics, most notably "End of My Life as I Know It" and "Kindred Souls," my mind just kept wandering back to this. So scream at me if you will, or enjoy this. But I need to get this out of my head and down on paper...or cyberspace... Whatever. Just please leave me some reviews, ok? Or I'll sic Sephiroth on you! Also, bear with me concerning the timeline. I really have no idea how far before Meteorfall the Wutain War occured, despite my recent playthrough of the game. So I've taken some creative liscense. Forgive me! One more thing: the OC's name is pronounced "Sha-lay," with an inhalation on the 'Sh." Well, it sounded good to me... Can you tell I'm primarily a fantasy author?

Prologue: For Peace, I Give Myself into Hell

_Prior to Nibelheim..._

"So the cost of peace is for us to send our children into Shinra's clutches?" Ryozo demanded, holding tightly to his cane. "They will turn them into monsters!"

"I realize that the cost is high, Ryozo. However, what is a few losses to us, if it means peace for Wutai at last?" Godo rubbed the bridge of his nose, attempting to relieve his splitting headache. "You have seen what Shinra's SOLDIERS have done to our best warriors. For us to continue this war would mean the end of our home."

"But these are our children we are talking about, Godo!" The old man thumped his cane on the floor for emphasis. "Our future lies with our children. For us to allow Shinra to take them means we _have_ no future!"

"Not all of the children will be going. And in fact, it will not be the children we will be sending. They desire our older offspring, the youngest, strongest adults and near-adults of our number."

"They want them to boost their own numbers!" There was a certain desperation in the elder's eyes, the terror of losing someone he cared about and the knowledge that, if he ever saw that person again, they would not be the same person he had known before. "They want to turn them into SOLDIERS!"

Godo sighed. "I know, Ryozo, I know. But what can we do about it? Shinra holds our existence in their hands; if we do not comply and send our sons and daughters to join their ranks, they will destroy us. They will understand, as they have been taught one simple truth: what is the suffering of a few, compared to the suffering of all?" He settled back on his cushion, casting a quick glance to the wall to his right. He had heard a soft shuffling noise from behind one of the panels. "Your daughter is one of the names on the list. She is regarded as...high priority by Shinra's representatives. You should be honored that she is so skilled to be of note to Shinra."

"How can I be honored when that same skill means that she is to be taken away from me?" Ryozo spat. "I would rather go myself than subject my daughter to their experimentation and machinations!"

Godo rose from his cushion and paced to the window, gazing upon the statues engraved upon the mountainside. "As would all of us who must see our children off to Midgar within the next forty-eight hours. My own daughter is far too young for Shinra's tastes, and so she has escaped their notice. For that, I am grateful. But I must extend my deepest sympathies to you, my old friend." He turned to face the elder, his eyes sad. "I fear that your daughter will no longer be your own once Shinra is finished with her."

Ryozo stood there a moment longer, trembling. Whether in rage or merely old age, the Lord of Wutai was unsure. After a moment, he turned and hobbled from the room, leaving the home of his lord and friend behind. Godo watched him go, feeling old and tired, as well as somehow responsible.

"You can come out now," he stated, not turning his gaze from the doorway.

Behind him, a secret panel in the wall slid open, revealing a young girl. She did not hesitate to approach the Wutain lord, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes fixed on the man's face. "Shinra wants to take my friends away?" she demanded.

Godo nodded sadly, reaching down to stroke her soft cap of black hair. "Yes, Yuffie. They do."

"And you're letting them?" She scoffed. "Some ruler you are."

"I have no choice. The fate of Wutai is at stake here. In exchange for peace, they want your friends." He looked back at the window, catching a glimpse of the setting sun's rays bathing the mountain so it seemed covered with blood. An omen for the future of Wutai? He prayed it was not so. Godo took a deep breath, steering his daughter from the room and into her own room. "Don't worry, Yuffie. You'll see them again someday."

She looked up at him. "Really?"

The innocence of her gaze pierced Godo to his heart, but he steeled himself to lie through his teeth. "Of course. Now, why don't you go get your materia? I've already forgotten what kinds you have."

Yuffie, her indignation stolen away by the idea of educating her father about her beloved materia collection, immediately went to fetch the box in which she kept them, leaving her father alone with his guilt.

_What have I done?_

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Jalei watched her father come up the stairs to their home, already preparing a potion to steal away his pain. Ryozo suffered from severe arthritis in addition to old war-wounds that had never quite healed correctly, and every day she rubbed the healing ointment on his joints to aleiviate the pain. It took time away from her training with weapons, but she didn't mind. Her father needed her, and duty to her father was a belief her mother had deeply ingrained within her mind. "Welcome home, Father. Did your visit to Lord Godo go well?" she inquired when he had gotten inside and settled down on his pallet, laying his cane carefully to the side and readying him for the touch of the potion.

"It..." He shook his head, refusing to answer further. Instead, he gazed upon his daughter while she rubbed the potion into his joints and old scars, memorizing her features. She was the exact image of her dead mother, short and beautiful, but her eyes were a molten silver rather than deep brown. Her hair was as smooth and black as the night sky, spilling down her back in a glossy waterfall of blue highlights. Her skin was tanned to a gentle gold from being out in the sun so often, practicing and training with the other children her age. She adapted this gentle, quiet facade around her father, but in truth, she was more like a tiger than a flower.

_All young people between the ages of seventeen to twenty-two, _the order had said. And Jalei was eighteen.

"You still have to go to Midgar, my daughter. Shinra wants you and the other young people of Wutai to replace the SOLDIERs they lost fighting us, and for the good of Wutai, Lord Godo is willing to give you over to them."

"For peace." Jalei screwed the top back onto the potion, and went to place it back on the shelf while Ryozo struggled to his knees. She turned back to him with a demure expression, hands carefully folded before her. "I would rather remain here in Wutai, Father. I have long desired to see the world, but not if it means leaving you behind. You need me too much for me to depart in good conscience."

"I am just fine, Jalei. I can get around without you." He reached up and took one of her hands, gently rubbing the knuckles with his thumb. "Neither of us have a choice, regardless. I tried to talk Godo into negociating for something else with Shinra in exchange for peace, but he refuses. He is of the opinion that we have neither the strength nor the warriors to stand against them again, and so we must sacrifice you and the other young warriors in order to buy peace for the rest of us."

"I see." The young woman gazed at the floor for a long moment, then into her father's eyes. "I will go, so you and everyone else will be safe."

"Jalei..." She cut him off before he could continue.

"Father, I must. I have heard the list of people they want, and my name is on it. If I do not show up, I fear the consequences." Her eyes met his. "Especially for you. You are not as young as you used to be."

"I am still fully capable of defending myself." He sniffed proudly. "I taught you all that you know, after all."

"I know, and I am grateful." Jalei leaned over and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "That is why I am leaving for the trucks Shinra has sent for transportation in a few minutes."

"So soon? Daughter, at least share some tea with me. Holy only knows when we shall see each other again."

Jalei looked at him for a long moment, then went to the fire and used a cloth to pluck the kettle from the hook, carefully pouring the steaming liquid within into a pair of teacups she removed from the shelf beside the fire. She took one cup for herself, and gave the other to Ryozo. "Father, please. Do not keep me any longer than necessary. I wish to leave before I second-guess myself."

"All I want is to share one last cup of tea with you. It concerns me that you may not return to Wutai for several years."

"Duties in Shinra will keep me in Midgar at least until my training is complete. Following that, I am unsure." She took a sip of her tea. "But I know I will return home as soon as I possibly can. And I have arranged for Sakura to come and care for you in my stead. She was not one of the people Shinra asked for."

"You show great wisdom, my daughter. Sakura will take care of this old man, and her cooking is better than your own." There was a playful twinkle in his eye as he said this.

"Father!" she laughed.

"Or perhaps her tea will be better than this slop."

"You enjoy my tea and you like it. You know that." She was not angry or even annoyed. This was a ritual they went through with every meal: Ryozo would tease her about her cooking, and Jalei would laugh about it. It was just one more thing they would both miss while she was gone.

Once the tea was finished, Jalei got up and helped her father to his feet. Together they went to the door, where the woman picked up the bag she had packed. She turned back to her father, who was leaning against the door, toying with his cane. There was no sadness in her silver eyes, only quiet acceptance. "Farewell, Father."

"Farewell, daughter."

Jalei turned and went down the stairs, never turning back. Ryozo watched his daughter go, knew she would soon reach Shinra's encampment and join the other Wutains who had already left.

He could not shake the feeling that this was the last time he would ever see his beloved daughter in this lifetime.

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"State your name."

"Jalei Nerugasi, daughter of Elder Ryozo Nerugasi."

"She's on the list, Jack. Let her in."

The first officer looked at her suspiciously, still holding his checklist and pen. "What do they want her for? She's just a little thing. Pretty, though."

The other officer, this one a bit more decorated than the first one, sighed and pointed to the whip and sword hanging at her hips. "The General knows what he's doing, Jack. If he wants her in SOLDIER, then he had a good reason for choosing her. Do you really want to inform him or Captain Sephiroth that you turned away one of the high priority acquisitions?"

Jack shivered, then crossed something off on his list and motioned for Jalei to get in the truck. She settled herself next to Sarn Tsukaya, a friend of hers and fellow warrior-in-training. He, as well as the other three Wutains seated in the back of the covered truck, offered her an encouraging smile as she placed her bag on the floor between her feet.

"How many trucks have left already?" she queried.

"Our's is supposed to be one of the last trucks leaving today. Most of us have gone already, but a few stragglers are expected to arrive before Shinra packs up and heads back for Midgar," Sarn replied.

"But they're sending us on ahead?"

"Along with people to guard us."

"You mean to make certain we don't cause any trouble." That comment came from Kei Mataka, who was sullenly curled up against the cab. He glared at Jalei through angry gold eyes, clearly unhappy with her presence on the truck. "I thought your father would keep you here in Wutai, Jalei."

"I have my duty to my home, as much as you do, Kei. My gender shouldn't make a bit of difference to that." She rubbed her bare arms, suddenly wishing she had brought some kind of coat or cloak or something. "Just because I beat you at wrestling today..."

Kei started to snarl out a reply, but was abruptly cut off as someone else stepped into the truck, tall enough to obscure the slit of light visible between the flaps of cloth. The newcomer stood there for a long moment, his green eyes glowing softly in the darkness due to the mako flowing through his veins, then spoke up.

"That's enough."

Jalei supressed a shiver as the soft, deep tones of his voice reached her. She hadn't even seen what this soldier looked like, and already she was admiring him for his _voice_, of all things!

He watched them a moment longer, then climbed inside the rest of the way and took a seat across from Jalei, allowing her the opportunity to take a good look at him. And what a view it was. To her eyes, he was physically perfect, almost beautiful, if a man could be called that. In addition to the citrine eyes, he possessed waist-length hair of an extrordinary silver hue, and was garbed mainly in black leather pants and coat, which buttoned up the front to his neck. A striking male specimen, to say the least.

It was of great embarrassment, then, when she realized that he was watching her as she was him. She felt a blush rising to her cheeks, and quickly looked away. But not before she caught sight of the smirk twisting his lips.

"So who the hell are you?" Kei demanded suddenly, as the truck began to move.

"I am Captain Sephiroth, appointed guardian of you five for the extent of this journey." His eyes rose to meet Jalei's. "And your names?"

The others introduced themselves in quick succession. After a moment, Jalei realized that he was awaiting her response to the question.

"Jalei Nerugasi, daughter of Elder Ryozo Nerugasi."

Sephiroth nodded slowly. "I have heard of you, recruit. All five of you are considered high priority acquisitions, but you are the only woman on that list."

Jalei cast a glance to Sarn, but he could only offer a shrug. "I... Thank you."

The captain looked out the partially-opened flap. "You are welcome."

She followed his gaze, and realized that he was looking at the mountain. The sun was setting, and the statues that jutted from the ancient rock were bathed in crimson light. It almost looked as if the sculptures had been splashed with paint.

Or blood.

This time, she was unable to supress her shudder. _Is it an omen? For whom does it apply?_

"Are you cold, recruit?" Sephiroth's voice intruded upon her thoughts, and she tore her gaze away from the mountain to look at him. His face was expressionless, but she could have sworn that she heard some kind of concern in his beautiful voice.

"A little, Captain. But I'll be fine."

"Admirable fortitude. And it is good to see that you are stubborn. That will serve you well in the field. However..." He shrugged off his overcoat, revealing that he wore a black sweater beneath it, and offered the garment to her. "Do not confuse stubbornness with stupidity and pride. I do not want any of you to become ill before we reach Midgar."

Jalei took it and draped it over her shoulders, snuggling contentedly into the residual warmth lingering within the felt lining. The heat and soft fabric felt _heavenly _against her naked arms. "Thank you, Captain."

Again, he failed to meet her eyes as he replied "You are welcome."

"How long are we supposed to be in SOLDIER?" Sarn asked, breaking the awkward silence which had sprung up.

"You mean, how long is it until you can go home." Sephiroth looked straight at her as he replied. "Ten years."

_Ten years..._

"That is, if you are not promoted to First Class or accepted into the Turks or anything like that. And of course, if you were to fail your entrance exams, you would be sent home in disgrace." He leaned back against one of the supports that held the tarp above their heads. "But ten years will be the average. Somehow, I fail to believe that any of you will make First Class. You do not seem tough enough to meet the demands of that level of promotion."

Jalei bit her lip. She had never been able to turn down a challenge before, and that was a challenge if she had ever heard one. _So I'm not tough enough to make SOLDIER First Class, eh?_

_Just watch me. _

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Queen: _The main story will begin soon, several years later. Hey, does anybody know when the Wutain War took place, how long before FFVII it was? _

Sephiroth: _Shouldn't you keep your facts straight before using them in a story?_

Queen (rolling eyes): _Would you get off my back about that, Seph? You were one of the ones demanding that I stop mulling this over in my head and just get it down on paper, after all. _

Zack: _He's never happy, Queen. You should know this by now. _

Sephiroth: _Of course I'm happy. _

Queen: _Only when you're slicing things into itty, bitty, teensy, weensy little pieces. I swear, Zack. How the hell did you ever put up with him?_

Zack (grinning smugly): _As if I'd tell you. _

Queen: _Have it your way, then. Remember: Kadaj and Yazoo are still hanging around the house. They would not object to tormenting you for a few hours. And I know Reno would not be unhappy if I told him to steal your cds again..._

Zack: _Fine, fine, fine! I'll tell you later; just don't let him near my cds again. He used them like Frisbees last time!_

Sephiroth: _To those of you still reading this nonsense, I would implore you to leave a review in the appropriate placement. Reviews shall keep Reno entertained, my Remnants busy, Queen happy, Zack occupied, and prevent me from hunting down the entirety of you and allowing Masamune to do as it will. Do I truly need to elaborate further? _

Queen: _I believe they have recieved the message, Seph. OK, readers! You heard the man! Review please! Cookies shall be given to those who leave me one! Now if you don't mind, I have to hunt down Reno and ask him a favor..._

Zack: _You wouldn't dare..._

Queen: _Watch me. _(darts from room laughing maniacally, one black-haired SOLDIER in hot pursuit)

Sephiroth: _I am surrounded by idiots... But at least they are entertaining..._

(transmission ended)


	2. Congrats, Sephiroth Style

**Summary: **Based off a poem I wrote for class, this is the untold story of a woman from Wutai, the woman who captured the General's heart before he ever knew of Jenova... The woman who refuses to leave him, even after she was forced to move on...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII, I don't own Sephiroth, Zack, Cloud, or any of the other canon characters mentioned herein. Jalei and any other original characters, as well as this whole damn idea, are wholly my own. No excuse for it. I also claim the right to calling Zack 'Blackspike.' That name belongs to me.

**Queen's Quornor: **I swear, it is next to impossible to find the promotion chart for SOLDIER. I found a few sites that detail how it works for the US, Nazi German, and Japanese armies, but not for Shinra. Have any of you figured out how it works? I know I saw a list of positions on the various classes of SOLIDIER somewhere on Wikipedia, but I have been unable to find it since then. So I'm going to be taking creative liberties (dun dun DUN!) on how I'm going to get Jalei into third-in-command to Sephiroth, second to Zack. Sorry if I mangle the SOLDIER positions here! I'm basing my system off the US Army ranking. And shame on me, there is already a lemon! Well, I guess I had to get around to one sooner or later. I haven't written one on the FFVII charts yet. This isn't going to be a smut-fic, but up to a certain point there will be sex at various points. Sephiroth has never struck me as a man who has kept his distance from the dirty, after all.

Chapter Two: Congratulations, Sephiroth Style

Jalei sheathed her sword at her side, taking in the exhausted, beaten man across from her with a certain satisfaction. Colonel Jothan Riglas, SOLDIER First Class, had been a thorn in her side for years on end, ever since he had beaten her out for the promotion into Second Class. Now that both of them were in First Class, they couldn't avoid each other. And that inevitably resulted in fights, which always resulted in her kicking his ass across the room. Colonel Riglas may have had more muscle mass than the Wutain woman, but she definitely knew how to use hers better.

As always, they had had an audience. Riglas' cronies were huddled against the bleachers ringing the gym, casting her dark looks while they encouraged him to go after her one more time, not to give in to the 'slant-eyed bitch.' Jalei didn't have that many followers, but the ones she had cheering for her were at least loyal. Her best friend Sarn tossed her a bottle of water with an enthusiastic warning. She caught it in one hand and took a long gulp of the cool liquid, silver eyes roaming over her friends. There was Sarn, but there was also a few more sitting in the bleachers, watching her. There was Yashira, the dark-skinned Corellian woman who had been her room-mate prior to her promotion into First Class, the red-haired Turk she sometimes went out drinking with, Reno, and Akane, another of the people she had been shipped to Midgar with nine years ago. In addition to all of them was a newcomer Yashira had introduced her to, another First Class SOLDIER named Zack. He had gone out drinking with them a few times, and Jalei had always found him an amusing and easy-going companion. A little gropey when he was shit-faced, but otherwise a good friend. He was leaning against the bleachers with his arms crossed, a manila envelope in his hand where she could see it.

Tossing the bottle back to Sarn, Jalei walked over to him. "Is that what I think it is?" she asked, re-coiling her whip and hanging it back on the clip on her belt.

"Yep." Zack handed it to her with a flourish, flashing her a grin. "Your promotion to Major General of SOLDIER First Class. Which means you answer to me now, 'cause I'm the Lieutenant General."

"Third-in-command to the General himself," Jalei mused, opening the envelope and reading over the papers within. "So I can add a star to my uniform, and I don't have to deal with that bastard again." She jerked her thumb at Riglas, who was now conversing with his buddies and letting one of them use a Cure materia on him. "You know, one of these days, I'll be taking your position and becoming his second-in-command."

He grinned at her again, this time teasing. "Of course you will." He patted her on the head condescendingly. She mock-scowled at him before swatting at his hand.

"Don't patronize me, Zack. Respect your elders and all that."

"Is the old maid getting jealous of the young buck? Well, that's a switch."

"I'm only ten years older than you. So's the General, actually."

Zack laughed. "Jalei, do you have any idea how many women your age are married and settled down by now? Even the lady SOLDIERs have husbands outside or inside the company."

"Maybe I'm just holding out for Mr. Right."

"Mr. Right's gonna get away scott-free if you don't go after him soon." There was a twinkle in his violet eyes now. "I mean, Seph's never really let himself get tied down before…"

"Zack!" Jalei slapped a hand across his mouth, blushing furiously. Her relationship with the General was supposed to be a secret. "How did you find out about that?"  
"Mm mai meem mmeemph?"

"Ok, you can speak. Now spill."

He crossed his arms again and leaned back against the bleachers, a smug smile gracing his lips. "It was pretty easy to figure out, actually. You two just act like a couple, even when you don't mean to. And when I saw you having dinner with him at that new fancy place the other night, it was all the confirmation I needed. Especially after you went kissy-face with him and he did you up against the wall…"

"Zack!" Now she was the color of lobsters freshly pulled out of the pot.

"It's ok, 'lei. I'm pretty sure no-one else knows about it. It really isn't that obvious; I only saw that he treats you a little differently because I'm his best friend, and know what he's like. Seph's pretty hard to read if you don't know what you're looking for, after all."

Her color began fading back to normal as she gave him a rueful smile. "Yeah, I know. I guess that's why it took me seven years before I realized that he liked me."

"Well, you can be assured of one thing."

"What's that?"

"He's guaranteed to be faithful."

"Small blessing, considering how many women would throw themselves at him, given the chance."

"Well, Seph's not stupid. He knows the difference between you and sex-crazed hussies like that."

"Thank Holy for that, at least."

"Hey, what's goin' on over here, yo?" Reno's head suddenly appeared above them, hanging from the bleachers upside down. "You two having a make-out session or something?"

"No way, Reno! You know I've got better taste in women than Short-stuff here!" Zack declared, glaring playfully up at the dangling redhead.

"Don't you know that we short people have our uses? We're about the right size for blowjobs on certain men." Jalei reached up and tugged at Reno's ponytail. "Besides, I'm not all that short."

"You call 4'9 tall?" Zack snorted.

"It's 5'2, thank you very much." She sniffed haughtily, then yanked on the red rope again. "C'mon down here, Reno. For teasing me about playing tonsil hockey with Zack here, you've earned yourself a one-way ticket to the floor."

"No!" The Turk struggled, but then Zack joined in, aiding Jalei in her endeavor by grabbing him under his chin and yanking hard. Reno had a good grip on the bleachers, but it was not enough to withstand the combined muscle of two First Class SOLDIERs. Inevitably, he came crashing down on the tiled floor.

Sitting up and rubbing his head, Reno glared at them. "You could've cracked my head open, you know."

"We'd need a few more tons of force for that, Red. A sledgehammer couldn't crack open that skull of yours!" Jalei offered him a hand, and he accepted it, making her haul him to his feet with no help from him. She managed it with little trouble, then walked out to the rest of her friends, followed closely by Reno and Zack. "Hey guys, guess what? I got the promotion!"

"What?"

"No way!" Yashira grabbed the papers out of her hand, reading over them feverishly. "Wow! You really are Major General now! Congratulations, Jalei!" She tackled the Wutain woman, wrapping her in a fierce hug.

"No-one deserved it more, after that uprising in Sector Five. Congratulations." Akane smiled happily at her friend.

Sarn approached her with a smile on his face, pulling Yashira off her and taking her place. "Congratulations, Jalei. Shall we go out to dinner to celebrate, just you and me?" he whispered into her ear.

"How about all of us go out together tomorrow? We don't have to train on weekends, after all," she proposed, sidestepping the question. Sarn had been making it perfectly obvious that he had feelings for her for several years now, and she just couldn't see him as anything more than a good friend.

Besides, she was not about to betray Sephiroth with another man. She just didn't have it in her.

"That sounds great, as long as you're payin,' yo," Reno replied, throwing his arm around Yashira. "Wanna get drunk again, baby?"

"Maaaayybe. If you're a good boy, that is." It was no secret that Yashira habitually went home with Reno when they went out drinking.

"Sorry. I promised I'd practice my swordsmanship with Maddock," Akane apologized. "I'll just get you something instead, ok Jalei?"

"You don't have to if you don't want to, Akane. I know you don't have much spare gil."

"I want to. A promotion like this should get some kind of reward."

"Well, I think it's a great idea." Zack clapped her on the shoulder companionably. "Think I should try and get the General to come out with us for once?"

"Zack! You wouldn't dare!" Jalei hissed, sneaking a glance at the others.

"Aww, c'mon Jalei! You know he could use a day off, an excuse to get away from all that paperwork. When I got those papers from him earlier, he looked like he was drowning in it all." The younger man leaned closer to her, lowering his voice to a whisper. "He also said he wants to see you as soon as possible."

"What for?"

"Beats me. Maybe he just wants to…you know…" He flashed her a naughty grin.

"You've got a one-track mind, Blackspike. A one-track mind." But she couldn't deny that sex was probably what Sephiroth had in mind. Ever since she had agreed to sleep with him on their fifth date, he had taken every opportunity he could find to get into her pants. "Anyway, so it's settled. We're going out to the bar tomorrow."

"And we're gonna paint the town red in honor of Jalei's promotion to Major General!" Reno howled.

"WHAT promotion?" The group collectively turned their heads to the other side of the gym, where Riglas had heaved himself up and stomped closer to them, followed by his huddle of cronies. "Do you mean that promotion to Major General I was up for?"

"In case you forgot, we _both_ were up for it, Riglas. And I got it."

"There must be some mistake!"

"There is no mistake, Riglas. The name on the papers says 'Jalei Nerugasi,' not 'Jothan Riglas.' And I saw General Sephiroth sign them myself, so I know there was no mistake," Zack said, glaring at the bald annoyance. The colonel was not one of his favorite people, either.

Riglas turned red with anger, his fists tightly clenched and shaking. "I contest this promotion. That pair of stars belongs to me, not that bitch!"

Sarn narrowed his eyes. "I'd be careful about how I address her, Colonel. That 'bitch' has the power to get your ass court-martialed for something like that now."

"A power that does not rightly belong to her!" Riglas crossed his arms across his broad chest, egged on by the croakings of his followers. "I demand to see the General. He must realize that he has made a mistake and signed the wrong name on that promotion!"

"The General is _never _wrong, Colonel," Yashira pointed out.

"There's a first time for everything, Lieutenant. Now take me to see him!"

Zack started to say something, then sighed. "Fine, Colonel. C'mon. You too, Jalei. The rest of you, stay here while we get this sorted out."

As the three of them exited the gym, Jalei couldn't help but crow inwardly at the verbal beat-down her nemesis was about to receive.

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"…And that's why I am better qualified to be Major General, General. My list of accomplishments in the field is far greater than hers." Riglas gave her a baleful glare. "Besides, I am native to Midgar, not a foreign cast-off like her. That promotion is rightfully mine!"

Sephiroth did not raise his gaze, merely continuing to gaze upon his folded hands rather than the SOLDIERs standing around his desk. He took his time before answering, as Jalei had known he would. "Colonel, before I answer, I would like to point out that racism has no part in this discourse. Shinra promotes its employees based on their own merits, not where they came from or from which lifestyle they hail. Colonel Nerugasi has fewer accomplishments to her name, that is true. However, they are all of extreme note."

The General stood up from his desk and paced over to the window, hands folded behind his back, as tall and imposing as she had ever seen him. "Apart from that, I have observed you both in the field on many separate occasions. Colonel Nerugasi has always fought with courage and skill, displaying intelligence and wisdom far beyond her years. I have always admired her assessment of the enemy's strength, and how any squad under her command always returns with minimal casualties. Very few of the commanding officers can manage to pull off something like that on consecutive occasions, but she does.

"As for you, Colonel Riglas, don't think I haven't noticed that you always hang back, hiding behind the ranks where it is more difficult for the enemy to get at you. And when forced into hand-to-hand combat, you always display a disturbing lack of skill with the blade, as well as a certain tendency to scream like a young girl-child when suffering the tiniest cut."

Riglas flushed, casting an infuriated glance at the smirking Jalei and Zack. "General, I…"

"Be quiet, Colonel. I am not yet finished."

He quieted, glaring balefully at the taller man's back. Jalei had a sudden image of a flea glaring up at a tiger, and had to smother a giggle before it escaped the confines of her throat.

"In addition to these faults, there is also a certain frequency of the deaths of SOLDIERs under your command. Several promising cadets have perished while under your watch, and you have never successfully pulled off a single objective by yourself. Whenever you do, it is always because whoever you were attached to succeeded in accomplishing their goal. Shinra left this promotion up to my judgment, and it is my belief that Colonel Nerugasi deserves it, and is far better suited for the position in question, than you." Sephiroth turned around, his expression cool and final. "Colonel Nerugasi is now Major General Nerugasi. And that is final."

Riglas lost his temper then. He slammed his hands down on Sephiroth's desk, visibly struggling to prevent himself from lashing out at the man himself. That would be instant court-martial, if not a death wish, and Jalei knew he valued the privileges that came with being a member of the elite First Class too much to risk that. "General, I cannot believe that you would give this promotion to a slant-eyed, mountain-bred, moon-faced little _bitch _like that over a qualified SOLDIER such as myself. She does not… Urk!"

Riglas was suddenly dangling in midair, supported only by a black-gloved fist around his throat. He clawed at the wrist attached to the hand before realizing who had hold of him, then his eyes widened in sudden terror. Sephiroth glared at him, citrine eyes full of tightly-leashed rage. "I told you before, Major, that racism has no place in this discourse. I would also like to point out that I myself am half-Wutaian, so I take offense to comments such as this. I should have you court-martialed for this…

"But I won't. At least, not _this _time. But if I hear that you have been saying such things ever again, rest assured that I will have your ass kicked out of SOLDIER. Understand?"

The major nodded vigorously, eyes wider than dinner plates.

"Good." Sephiroth let him drop to the ground, coughing hard with a hand to his throat. "Now get out of my office."

As soon as he had scrambled out the door, tripping almost every step of the way, Zack collapsed against the wall in a burst of laughter, holding his ribs as if they would break.

"Did you see the look on his face, Seph? I think he thought you were going to eat him or something!"

"I'm surprised he didn't piss himself. You can be pretty damn intimidating when you want to be," Jalei commented with a smirk.

The tall man with the silver hair accepted their comments with a modest smile, returning to his place behind the desk. "I am not overly fond of Major Riglas. To be honest, I wish that he would say something like that again, just so I can have him court-martialed. I still have no idea how he passed his entrance exams, or how he managed to get this high up the ladder. He's more useless than most cadets."

"We are in agreement on that point." Jalei went to the desk and stood before it. "Also… You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes, I did." The General turned his gaze to his second-in-command. "Lieutenant, you are dismissed."

Zack pouted briefly, then saluted and left the room, shutting the door firmly behind him. Sephiroth waited until the echo of his boots on the floor faded away, then stood back up and came around the desk to stand in front of the Wutaian woman.

"Let's drop the formalities, shall we?" he suggested, reaching out to take her into his arms. "I wanted to congratulate you on your promotion, Jalei."

"Thank you, Sephiroth." She laid her hands delicately on his chest, softly stroking her fingers across the smooth leather. "Out of curiosity, was there an ulterior motive to your choice?"

He offered her a knowing smirk. "Of course there was. In addition to all the points I listed during the discussion with Riglas, there is the not-so-minor point that this promotion would mean that you would be spending more time with me. For that alone, I might have been willing to give you the promotion, even if you were not so qualified for it. And speaking of ulterior motives…" He bent his head to hers, and claimed her mouth in a heated kiss.

When it broke, Jalei pushed back slightly, keeping their pelvises tight together but putting some space between their chests. "Office sex, Sephiroth? I had somehow believed you to be above such a thing. Not that I'm complaining, of course."

"You believed me to be above office sex after I took you against a damp brick wall in an alleyway? It never ceases to surprise me, the way your mind works." He slid his hand into her hair, feasting at her neck with hot, moist kisses. "However, I know perfectly well how your _body _works."

The heat flashed through her, pooling immediately in her groin. "Sephiroth…" she moaned, gripping the fastenings of his long coat.

"Sshhh. I know how to take care of you." He turned and lay her on the desk, knocking the carefully-stacked piles of paperwork to the floor carelessly and going to the door, locking it and returning to her a moment later, already shedding his coat and letting it lay where it fell. Jalei reached up to pull him down on top of her, hands roaming appreciatively across the well-defined muscles of his back and sides and tangling in the silver silk of his hair.

Kissing her again, Sephiroth began removing the scratchy upper half of her uniform, making certain to tease her with gentle strokes of his fingers as more and more of her creamy flesh was revealed. The shirt was soon tossed to the far corner of the room, followed soon after by her lacy black bra. Jalei threaded her fingers through his hair again when his hot mouth settled at her breasts.

Before long, their pants were on the floor, his around his ankles and hers completely separate of her body. Now the only thing separating them was a tiny scrap of silk known as a 'thong.' Sephiroth looked down at it, then back into her lust-flushed face.

"I thought I told you to never wear underwear again."

"Well…Uhh…" Jalei let her head fall back against the desk with a solid _thunk_. "All the blood has gone south. I can't think anymore."

"Exactly how I like it." The General ran his finger under the fabric that rested against her right hip, tugging at it gently. "This, however, has to go."

It was torn off her and away a second later, so quickly that Jalei didn't have time to protest. Not that she would have, anyway. He was back at her lips in the next instant, already moving between her thighs and hooking them behind his back.

"How fast does this have to be?" the woman gasped out when he pressed against her. It wasn't that she needed more foreplay. It was just that he normally indulged in more than this before moving on to intercourse.

"Fast. I have to report to Hojo for my weekly physical in ten minutes."

"Well, you know what gets me off the quickest."

"Oh, I don't want it _that_ quick. Hojo expects me to be late. I always am." Then he was inside her, and moving quickly at an angle that he knew drove her out of her mind.

Jalei dragged her nails down his back, instinctively searching for something to hold onto. Making love with Sephiroth was always a mind-shattering experience, one that sorely tested her ability to remain quiet when they were in a less-than-appropriate location. He took pride in his ability to make her scream, and her resisting that desperate urge when they were fucking outside a bedroom had turned into a sort of game for them.

"You're going to scream this time, Jalei." His lips, his teeth, found her shoulder while he ground into her hard.

"N-No! Not in here!" she gasped. Being in SOLDIER had stripped her of the greater majority of her Wutaian properness, but she still found it mortifying when someone heard them fucking.

He reached down between them, forcefully massaging her clit. "Yes, you are."

"Nurgh!" Her teeth grit together as her back arched high, her nails digging hard into his back. "No!"

"Yes!" His hiss vibrated up her spine and he grabbed her hair, pulling it so that her back stayed in that position and her breasts were easily accessible.

"No!" Her breath left her as his tongue scraped roughly across her left nipple.

"Yes!" This one was punctuated by a particularly forceful thrust.

"Nooo!" Jalei felt her orgasm building, and used her grip to haul her way upright. When he finally brought her, she did indeed scream…

But nobody could have heard it, seeing as how she muffled it against the sweaty flesh of his shoulder, her teeth clamped so hard they broke the skin.

But Sephiroth heard it, and he inwardly crowed as this reminder of his prowess was handed to him. Since she had given in to him, he decided to reward her. A few more forceful thrusts, and then he was there too, groaning his release into her hair and holding her tightly against his body as it took on a mind of its own.

Once they both had figured out how to move again, they separated and began redressing. "Do you really have to go to Hojo again?" she asked.

"Unfortunately. The President won't hear of anyone other than him handling my examinations."

"And the experiments that come with them," Jalei spat. Sliding her shirt back over her head, she cast him a glance of her shoulder. "I hate the fact that he hurts you so much, Sephiroth."

Seconds later, she felt warm, leather-clad arms slide around her waist, a rock-hard chest and a pounding heart against her back. "I don't like it either, Jalei. But I don't exactly have much of a choice. Shinra is all I have, and all I've ever known. If I don't go to Hojo, he could very well get me kicked out."

Closing her eyes, she reached up and hooked her nails into his shoulders to pull his head down a bit closer. There were definite disadvantages to such a difference of height between them. "I know. Want me to rescue you if he keeps you too long again?"

"You don't have to ask that anymore."

"No problem, Sephiroth."

They shared one more kiss, then parted ways, as always.

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Back in her own room, Jalei couldn't help but wonder what she was going to do with her heart, when her time at Shinra was over in a few months. She had a father to return to, a life she had left behind. What she had in Midgar was a satisfactory life, but…

SOLDIER was not what was making her hesitate to return to Wutai.

It was her feelings for Sephiroth.

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Queen: _No comments this time. Seph and Zack are out and about, and I have Things To Do. Sorry!_

(transmission ended)


	3. I Made Him A Promise

**Summary: **Based off a poem I wrote for class, this is the untold story of a woman from Wutai, the woman who captured the General's heart before he ever knew of Jenova... The woman who refuses to leave him, even after she was forced to move on...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII, I don't own Sephiroth, Zack, Cloud, or any of the other canon characters mentioned herein. Jalei and any other original characters, as well as this whole damn idea, are wholly my own. No excuse for it. I also do not own the songs mentioned in here; those are the property of Evanescence and the record company to which they belong.

**Queen's Quornor: **Man, I have got to get my paws on a copy of "Last Order" or something. Apart from that and the upcoming "Crisis Core," there seems to be absolutely nothing SE has done that shows what Seph was like prior to that flashback in FFVII. It's not that I hate how I'm portraying him, because I'm trying to keep him as accurate as possible, but it would be a lot easier to do that if I knew what he was like before he went bug-nut crazy. Little help here, people? If I'm going to put him in a fic, I'd at least like to do him justice personality-wise.

Chapter Three: I Made Him a Promise

"So when are you due to go back to Wutai?" Akane asked, running the whetstone down the length of her sword with a spine-tingling, scraping sound.

"Should be only a week. Figures, doesn't it? I get one of the most coveted promotions possible, and I have less than a month to enjoy it before I get to go home." Jalei was rubbing oil into her whip, keeping the leather soft and supple.

"You sound like you do not wish to return to our homeland."

Akane's perceptiveness always unnerved Jalei. She set the whip and oil down, and looked at her friend and confidante. "Of course I want to go home. I miss the clean mountain air, the natural beauty which graces the land. Furthermore, I miss my old friends and my father. In her last letter, Sakura said he had taken ill, and I worry for him. I may be in SOLDIER, but I am first and foremost his daughter. It is my duty to care for him."

"Then why do you sound conflicted? Is there something here in Midgar you do not wish to leave behind?"

Jalei looked sharply at the other woman. Akane gave away no clues that would indicate she knew about her and Sephiroth.

"There is…someone…I have come to care for. He must remain here long after I leave, but I am also unsure if he returns my affections to the extent I feel them."

"And therein lies your conflict." Akane ran the stone down the edge once more, blowing away the thin slivers of metal left behind. "You could remain here in Midgar, as I am. I'm sure your father would understand if you stayed here to pursue a man. Isn't that the highest dream of most Wutaian women? To find a man to love and settle down with him?"

"But I do not know if that is _my_ dream." Jalei sighed and picked up the whip and oil once more. "It does not matter. My father comes before my heart, and besides, Sarn is returning to Wutai when I do. He would make a good husband, a respectable one."

"Sarn is not the one for whom you harbor secret affections?"

"No, he is not. I have always thought of him as a good friend, nothing more than that. He, obviously, sees me as more than that." She ran her oil-slicked fingers through her hair, trying to explain something she still had trouble understanding herself. "Sarn is a good man, handsome and courageous. Most women would love to have him infatuated with them."

"But you are not 'most women.' Sarn is neither what you want nor what you desire."

"But he would be a reasonable choice to wed."

"Only if you do not mind giving your heart away when it obviously belongs to somebody else."

"I could learn to love him!" she protested.

"How does one love with no heart?" Akane countered.

"I…" Jalei let the whip fall to the ground and buried her head in her hands. "Akane, I do not know what to do. I have a life to return to, but I find myself wishing to remain in SOLDIER so I can be with him."

She heard soft footsteps, then an arm slid around her back, rubbing in soothing circles. "These things have a way of working themselves out, Jalei. I am certain that your choice will be made for you."

"But what am I supposed to tell him? I have a date with him tonight, and I am certain that the topic will surface."

"Just be honest. He will understand. General Sephiroth has ever been a most perceptive individual."

Jalei's hand dropped as she turned disbelieving silver eyes to her friend. "How did…"

"I saw him exiting your apartment, of course. The night you all went out to celebrate your promotion. When I came to leave you your gift, I saw him just leaving. It was not too difficult to figure things out after that." She rubbed her back again. "I have not told anyone. May I ask how long this has been going on?"

"Nearly two years. I know he cares about me, but I am unsure if his feelings are as strong as my own." She sighed and leaned against the taller woman wearily. "Lover or family? Father or boyfriend? Love or duty? Which am I supposed to choose?"

Akane could only rub her back and offer her shoulder.

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"Well, you certainly look nice. Might I inquire as to where you are going dressed up like that?"

Sarn's voice stopped Jalei in her tracks. She had been hoping to get out of the dorms without anybody seeing her so obviously dressed for a nice date. She turned around, knowing his golden eyes were fastened directly on the curves so nicely displayed by her little black dress. "Out. I am going out."

"That is obvious, unless you are planning on training in high heels." He circled around her, eyes lingering on her naked shoulders, the vee that revealed the beginning of her cleavage. The dress was tasteful, sophisticated, but also ripe with unspoken promises. It was far sexier than anything Yashira could possibly have in her off-duty, slutty wardrobe. "My question is, _why_ are you dressed like that?"

"That is none of your business, I believe." Her tone was clipped, almost cold.

"Jalei, I have a right to know." He grabbed her arm and spun her around, making her look at him. His eyes were sparking, the burning orbs of a tiger. "Tell me."

"If you _must_ know, I have a date. Now, move aside. I do not wish to keep him waiting."

Sarn did not move. His handsome face was a study in tightly-leashed fury.

"I said…" She moved in close to him, letting him see the anger in her silver eyes. "Move. Aside."

"Is that an order?" he sneered.

"If it must be." Her gaze softened slightly. "Do not make me pull rank on you, Sarn. You are my oldest friend."

"Who is he, Jalei? At least tell me that."

"I cannot."

The silence stretched between them, then Sarn moved to the side, allowing her to pass. As she walked away, he said "What can another man offer you, Jalei? I've loved you for years; I'm willing to give you everything that is mine, if you will accept it."

She stood still, closing her eyes and trying to formulate a reply. "Sarn… I do not know if I could learn to love you. And I care about you too much to lie to you. Just give me some time to figure some things out."

He did not stop her as she walked away.

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Sephiroth was waiting for her outside the building, leaning against his sleek black convertible with arms crossed. Even in civilian garb, he looked completely drool-worthy. Elegant, but deadly. The lethal appeal of a predator. Jalei was unable to keep her eyes from roaming across his suit as she approached.

"It never ceases to amaze me, how odd it is to see you without all that leather," she commented.

"It feels as strange as it looks, to go about in something other than leather." He smiled at her, and opened the car door for her. "Shall we?"

She returned the smile and slid into the creamy leather seats. "You are the driver. I am but the passenger."

"I'm glad we had this little talk." He walked around to the driver's side and got in, pressing a button to lower the top after starting up the engine. She looked at him with some amusement.

"I thought you hated putting the top down, knowing that all those people would be able to identify you by your hair."

"Ah, but you forget. I enjoy the feel of the wind through my hair, unmistakable as it is." They peeled out of the Shinra parking lot, so fast the tires squealed, and then were off down the streets. Jalei noticed that there were indeed quite a multitude of stares that followed the flowing expanse of silver hair as it passed, but just relaxed back against the seat contentedly. Sephiroth was unmistakable, but he was also _hers_. It was nice, knowing that she could show him off like this.

And every single girl they passed was more than likely boiling with jealousy.

"So where is this restaurant you wanted to take me to?" she inquired.

"It's over on the other side of Midgar, so it'll be awhile." He pushed his book of cds at her. "Pick a disc."

Jalei picked up the black binder and leafed through it, trying to pick a cd they both loved. She and Sephiroth had similar taste in music, but not all of the groups they liked were mutual. At last, she settled on a cd by a group from below the plates called Ephemeral. This cd, "Shadows in the Sorrow," was their latest release, and one of Jalei's current favorites. She pushed the cd into the player, and the strains of the first song, "Lies," emerged from the speakers.

Sephiroth nodded at her approvingly. "Ephemeral. Good band."

"Laseedra Vaneth is a good singer. You do not hear many professional musicians with a voice to match hers."

"She has a definite gift. It's too bad we missed the concert Ephemeral performed on the upper plate a few weeks back. I would have enjoyed seeing them live."

Jalei looked at him, knowing that he truly was disappointed. Ephemeral was one of his favorite bands. "There was not much we could have done, Sephiroth. We had to take care of that riot in Sector Three. What were we supposed to do, sneak off to the upper plate and watch the concert?"

"The idea had occurred to me," he mumbled.

She reached over and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Tell you what. Next time Ephemeral performs in Midgar, I'll get us both some leave-time and take you to see them. My treat."

He glanced at her. "Ephemeral's next performance in Midgar will not occur until after you have returned to Wutai, Jalei."

"Oh."

The cd switched to the next song, "Everybody's Fool."

"Jalei… Do you really have to go back to Wutai? You are a member of First Class; technically you shouldn't be able to go back for another five years, anyway." There was an almost imperceptible note of pleading in his voice. It was only because she knew him so well that Jalei was able to hear it at all.

She closed her eyes, wishing this conversation could have been put off a little longer. "The treaty with Wutai specifically states that any of the people who were sent to Shinra for training and were subsequently accepted into SOLDIER must return after a period of ten years, unless they wish to remain in Midgar. Even the ones who managed to get into First Class."

"And you don't want to stay here?"

She licked her lips, wishing she could make this easier for him. "It's not that I don't want to stay here. There is nothing I want more than to stay here… With you." When she said that, it felt as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. But she knew that burden had to be put right back on them. "The trouble is, I have a duty to fulfill. My father… He is ill and it is my duty as his daughter to care for him. Besides, I promised him before I left that I would return to him once the decade was up. What I want, and what I must do, are two completely separate and opposite entities in this matter."

He was quiet, lost in thought. The cd began playing "Lithium."

"Jalei… Once he is well, would you come back to Midgar?" The request was a quiet one, completely unlike the confident demands she was used to him making.

"I do not know if I could. I have a duty to my father. That is not something from which I would run, even through it is not what I want. But it a rule ingrained into my mind: 'home and family come first, before any other loyalty.' I cannot go against my father's expectations of me, Sephiroth."

"But Midgar is your home now."

"But my only remaining family is in Wutai." She locked her glowing silver gaze onto his profile, begging him to understand. "I have to go back to him, Sephiroth. I promised I would."

He sighed. "That is another thing I always admired about you, Jalei. Your sense of honor and duty."

"Sephiroth…" she began, but he cut her off.

"Then let's just enjoy our remaining time together. And when I next have vacation leave, I will come out to Wutai to see you. Will that work?"

Jalei's heart leapt. "Yes. Yes, that will work. But I thought you didn't get any leave?"

"I'm the General. I can take whatever leave I want."

She silently thanked the ancestor gods that he understood, and was not willing to end their relationship because she would be leaving Midgar. Her father might not be so pleased with her choice of a boyfriend, but he would be more interested in seeing her happy than anything else. So getting his blessing for their relationship would not be a big problem.

As they sped through the streets, a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Hey, how close is the post office?"

"It's right over there. Why? Haven't you been checking your mail?"

"My box at Shinra is offline. When that happens, all my mail gets rerouted to the post office on the upper plate. Can we stop there so I can check it real fast?"

He laughed, a deep, rich rumble. "Only you would have the audacity to ask if you could check your mailbox on a date. All right, Jalei. You can check your mail."

The car slid over to the side of the road, parallel-parking with almost laughable ease. Jalei got out and went to the post office, punching in her identification code and waiting for the tube to deliver anything that might be under her name.

There was only a single slim package, with an envelope attached. Jalei examined the return address as she returned to the car, sliding into her seat and ripping open the envelope.

"Who's it from?" Sephiroth asked, leaning against his door so he could watch her open the box.

"Sakura Ryokasan. One of my friends back in Wutai. She mails me once every two months, telling me what all the latest gossip is, and how everybody is doing." Fondly, she began to read the letter, her mind slipping easily into her native tongue as she scanned Sakura's neat, precise script. "Heh. Chiura Wantang is pregnant again. And it has only been five months since she last gave birth! Hasmak does not waste time, does he? Yuffie Kisaragi has apparently been stealing materia around town again. The shops do not have anymore to sell. One would think that Lord Godo could control his daughter better than this." Smiling, she continued to read the letter. Then, gradually, her face fell into an expression of disbelief. "No…"

"What is it?"

In reply, Jalei began to tear open the box, thrusting her hand into the darkened interior with almost desperate speed. When that hand emerged, it was holding a long, flat disk of stone. Delicate Wutaian characters had been carved into the surface, and as Jalei traced her fingers down them, she began to cry.

"Jalei?" She shoved the letter at him, hugging the stone to her chest and crying as if her heart was broken. Sephiroth had made a point of studying the Wutaian language while he was fighting there, and though long-unused, the knowledge came back to him the moment he saw the characters.

_Elder Ryozo Nerugasi, aged 93 years. May the gods protect his spirit. _

It was a funeral marker.

Ironically, the cd was playing "My Immortal."


	4. I Wasn't There!

**Summary: **Based off a poem I wrote for class, this is the untold story of a woman from Wutai, the woman who captured the General's heart before he ever knew of Jenova... The woman who refuses to leave him, even after she was forced to move on...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII, I don't own Sephiroth, Zack, Cloud, or any of the other canon characters mentioned herein. Jalei and any other original characters, as well as this whole damn idea, are wholly my own. No excuse for it.

**Queen's Quornor: **Interference can mean the difference between life and death, even if there is absolutely nothing physically wrong with the person in question.

Chapter Four: I Wasn't There for Him!

"Is she coming or not? The shuttle is going to leave in less than an hour!"

"She hasn't come out of there since last Friday. I have no clue if she's leaving or not."

"She has to come back to Wutai. The funeral arrangements have to be made, and as his only daughter, they are her duty!"

"How do you know she even wants to go back to Wutai? Maybe she would rather not see her father when he's dead."

"But it's her duty!"

Jalei buried her face in the mattress, clapping the pillow down tighter over her head in an attempt to block out the sound of Sarn and Zack's voices. She had been crying in her bed ever since Sephiroth had brought her back to the dorms after her break-down in his car, unable to escape her grief and guilt. Her friends had periodically come by her apartment to try and talk to her, to find out what was wrong, but she had refused to let them in, resulting in several loud, through-the-door conversations that mainly consisted of "Are you ok?" and "Go AWAY!"

Now Sarn was out there again, trying to get past her self-appointed door-man to use his keycard and talk to her. But Zack was having none of it; he wouldn't let the Wutaian man get near her door. "Sarn, she doesn't want to talk to anyone right now, and she definitely doesn't need to be reminded that her beloved father is dead. Go away; leave her alone."

"But the shuttle…"

"Is not the only way to get back to Wutai," the black-haired SOLDIER finished firmly. "If she misses this one, she will get back another way. Now, get!" There was a yelp from Sarn, and Jalei assumed Zack had kicked him. And as there was no reply from the golden-eyed man, she guessed he had obeyed his superior and left.

A moment later, she heard the sound of a keycard being swiped through a reader, and the soft hissing of her door sliding into the wall. "'lei? You up for a visitor?"

She fisted her hands in the pillow a little tighter. "Go away, Zack. I'm not in the mood for talking."

She heard the thumping of his heavy boots approaching the bedroom, and then her bed sagged as something heavy settled on top of it beside her. "Are you under there? Or do I have to do some excavating?"

Jalei had buried herself under a massive pile of blankets in addition to the pillow sitting on top of her head. It was a wonder Zack even knew where her limbs were, so he wouldn't sit on them by mistake. "Go away."

"And leave you to wallow in misery? I don't think so." She felt someone tugging at her pillow, and before she could do anything about it, the shield was gone. She glared up at Zack, who was holding her pillow up before his face so his eyes peeked over the seams at her mischievously. "You've gotta get some air. I hear not breathing is very, very bad for you."

Jalei merely turned her head to face the wall. She wasn't in the mood for his teasing right now.

There was a sigh, and the sound of her pillow hitting the floor. "Jalei, you've got to stop doing this to yourself. You've got all of us really worried. I mean, even Reno's come by a few times to check up on you, and you know he doesn't have much spare time with all the work he's been doing lately. Will you at least talk about it?"

"Zack, this is my father we're talking about!" She sat up, her right fist flying fast for his face. He leaned out of its path, and his violet eyes no longer held the laughter she had glimpsed earlier.

"I know it's your father. But you can't just stay in here and act like your whole life is destroyed. Do you think he would want you to just waste away like this, mourning him? From what you've told me, he wouldn't."

"That's not the point, Zack!" She was crying again. It amazed her that she had any tears left to shed.

"Then what is the point?" he demanded.

She stared at him, tears streaming from her silver eyes. And suddenly, she was hitting him, as hard and fast as she could, unable to stop herself. It enraged her that he couldn't understand, infuriated her. And so she had landed several good hits on him before it dawned on her that he wasn't defending himself. He was just sitting there on the edge of her bed, letting her take out her anger, her sorrow, on his body.

And she knew he understood.

As quickly as her temper had risen, it was gone, leaving her crying in earnest. Zack put his arms around her, pulling her to him and letting her weep on his shoulder. He stroked her hair while she shook with sobs.

"I'm so sorry! Forgive me; I didn't mean to lose control! I'm sorry, Zack, I'm sorry!" she sobbed.

"It's all right," he soothed. "You couldn't help it. You needed it. Calm down, it's all right…"

At long last, she quieted, lying bonelessly against his chest and shoulder. "I wasn't there for him when he needed me, Zack. I should have been there when he got sick. That was my duty as his daughter, to care for him in his illness. And I failed him. Father is dead because of me!"

"That's not true, Jalei. There was not a thing you could have done that Sakura couldn't have thought of. You told me she is the most skilled healer in Wutai; if she couldn't heal him, then there is little you could have done."

"But I wasn't there for him!"

"What were you supposed to do? Hop a truck to Junon, commandeer an airship, and fly yourself to Wutai? There was no way you could've gotten there in time. Your duties at Shinra would have kept you here, no matter what."

She leaned back to glare at him. "That doesn't help much, Zack."

"But it's the truth." He pressed her head back to his shoulder, albeit gently. "There was nothing you could have done."

Her only reply was more quiet sobs.

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"Seph, this whole thing with her father is tearing her apart. Isn't there something we could do?"

Sephiroth sighed and looked up from the numerous stacks of mind-numbing paperwork in which he was currently buried. "How am I supposed to know, Zack? I have never suffered the loss of a family member before."

Zack rolled his eyes, continuing his pacing in front of the General's desk. He was the only person in all of Shinra who could get away with pacing in Sephiroth's office. Most other people would have been bodily thrown from the room ages ago. "You know what I mean, Seph. She's beating herself up with guilt, thinking that he got sick and died because she wasn't there to take care of him. All she does is cry; she won't leave her apartment at all. She hasn't eaten in days, and I'm pretty sure she hasn't been getting much sleep. She hasn't been reporting for her duties, that's for certain."

"I gave her leave when I found out how upset she was. She'll return to her duties, or to Wutai, when she is ready." Sephiroth reached for another form, sighing once he saw that it another request for weapons testers written by Scarlet. He had lost at least a dozen good SOLDIERs every time she put in one of these requests.

Zack's hand slapped down on the form, just barely missing Sephiroth's fingers. The older man glared at him, a look that had made several lesser men run away in terror. But his second-in-command held firm; he would not flee from his superior and friend. "Giving her leave is not enough," he gritted out, deadly serious. "Something has to be done, before she withers away and dies! I visited her earlier; she's getting pretty damn close to the brink. I used a Cure on her before I left, just to make sure she'd be ok. She's got all of us damn worried, and I know you're just as concerned about her as I am. She's your girlfriend, for Holy's sake!"

"How did you… Never mind. What do you mean, 'she's close to the brink?' It's only been three days since she heard the news!"

"If you would go to see her, you would see what I mean. She's wasting away, almost like she's lost the will to live or something. And she _will_ die if we don't do something soon. I know she will."

"But she hasn't even said if she wants to stay here or return to Wutai yet!"

"What the hell does that matter? She's dying in there!"

Sephiroth had nothing to say to that.

"Look, let's assume she is going to stay here. There isn't really much for her back in Wutai now. So what would we do if she was going to remain in SOLDIER?"

"Send her down to the labs for psychological analysis and subsequent therapy."

Zack gave his superior a Look. "Seph, you and I both know you wouldn't send her down there. Hojo would have a heyday with her. So what else is there to do?"

"Read my lips, Zack. I. Do. Not. Know. I have no experience in this matter whatsoever!"

"I think we should take her back to Wutai, but not permanently. You are going with her."

"What?"

Zack sighed. Sephiroth was acknowledged as a genius, but sometimes he could be pretty slow when it came to emotional matters. "I think part of the reason she's like this is because she didn't have a chance to say goodbye. So, you should take her back to Wutai for the funeral, and stay with her because she needs the support. You have vacation time saved up; why not put it to good use and help Jalei?"

He flashed a quick grin at the silver-haired man. "Besides, if we let her go alone, you know Sarn won't be capable of leaving her alone. He'll see it as an opportunity to steal her from you."

Sephiroth was silent for a moment, then stood up. Zack watched him as he stalked over to the door, then straightened instinctively when he whirled back to him, eyes blazing.

"Pack your bags, Zack. If I'm taking Jalei to Wutai, you're coming too."

Zack couldn't keep the smirk off his face as he followed Sephiroth down the hall to the President's office, already anticipating the heated argument between the General and the temperamental head of Shinra.


	5. At the Pool

**Summary: **Based off a poem I wrote for class, this is the untold story of a woman from Wutai, the woman who captured the General's heart before he ever knew of Jenova... The woman who refuses to leave him, even after she was forced to move on...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII, I don't own Sephiroth, Zack, Cloud, or any of the other canon characters mentioned herein. Jalei and any other original characters, as well as this whole damn idea, are wholly my own. No excuse for it.

**Queen's Quornor: **I've been agonizing about the whole thing in Wutai for the longest time. But no matter how I approached it, it just wouldn't come together. So we're skipping ahead. You've missed a few things I had in store, but what was I supposed to do? A highlights bit? That wasn't going to work. So here we are, about a week after Sephiroth, Jalei, and Zack left for Wutai. Read, enjoy (hopefully) and leave me a review. I am going to continue this, and this has just been a serious issue with getting where I want the fic to go. Yes, I know Seph's a little OOC here. It ties in with more of the stuff I had to leave out.

That Night at the Pool...

Jalei stood over her father's grave, the wind blowing her kimono and hair out to the side. Her pale face was free of tears, touched only with deep sorrow.

But this sadness was not of grief. She had finally accepted her father's death and moved on, had come to understand that it was not her fault that she had not been here when Ryozo had returned to the Planet. This sorrow was of farewell.

Tonight would be her last night in Wutai, perhaps forever. She was returning to Midgar tomorrow, to sign back on as a SOLDIER. She was going back. With Zack. With Sephiroth.

Sephiroth...

He had become so important to her in the past few days. He had helped her through her grief, aided her in the funeral preparation, and kept Sarn off her back. He had held her when she cried, talked to her when she was enraged with the Planet, and listened when she needed to talk.

He had brought her back to sanity that night when her life was balanced on the edge of a knife held tightly to her wrist.

She knew now, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that her heart belonged to her General. To Sephiroth.

Her man.

"I knew I'd find you here." The rich voice she had longed to hear was behind her, full of both warmth and irritation. "Jalei, you are becoming a creature of habit. That is not good."

"I was just saying good-bye to the land of my ancestors," she explained, not turning around. "I don't think I'll ever see Wutai again."

She felt his hands on her shoulders, large and warm. "So you're definately coming back with us?"

"Yes."

The hands slid down her body, wrapping securely about her waist. "I'm glad."

The confession was soft, difficult to hear above the wind. Had he been afraid she was going to lose her to the land of her ancestors?

And what were the implications of that confession?

"You could never lose me, Sephiroth." She leaned her head back, nuzzling against his left cheek with a soft gesture. A gesture that spoke volumes to Wutaians. He was well-acquainted with the ways of her people; did he realized the significance of that seemingly-meaningless nuzzle?

His arms pressed her closer to his body, and one hand slid up to rest atop her heart. The answering gesture to her confession of love.

He knew...

And he loved her too.

They stood there in the wind, silent over her father's grave for what seemed an eternity. Lost in each other and this feeling they shared. At last, Sephiroth stirred.

"Jalei, after hiking all over that mountain with you and the funeral procession today, I need a bath. Do you know a place we could go?"

"I do." She unwound herself from his arms and took his hand. "Come with me."

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The location was nothing short of breathtaking. Jalei had led him deep into the bamboo forest outside of town, a favorite haunt for young couples looking for privacy. Their destination was a deep blue spring, the silvery moon glittering upon the pure waters. A waterfall sliding over the rocks to splash into the pool below, a frothy curtain to hide young lovers from view. The bamboo surrounding the area like a protective wall, a bristling fortress of green. Kimuani Spring was one of Wutai's best-kept secrets, a sanctuary the tourists never beheld. Its beauty and peace was known only to the locals. Outsiders were _never _given the opportunity, the privalege, of seeing this place.

"You are probably the only outsider to ever see Kimuani Spring," Jalei told her man as she began undoing her kimono. "Only Wutaians, and locals at that, know about it."

Sephiroth, though methodically stripping off, was transfixed by the pool. As a SOLDIER he had seen some truly horrific things, visions in truth that had made lesser men break. He rarely beheld such natural beauty as this. The peaceful aura rising from the very soil around him was a balm to wounds he had long withheld from his mind, healing the scars of the past.

For now, at least, Sephiroth was at peace.

The fact that Jalei was willing to break taboo to give him this peace was humbling. If they were caught here, she would be unofficially kicked out of Wutai, shunned by those who called her their friend. They could forgive her for being a member of SOLDIER; that had been the cost of peace with Shinra. But for her to have shown one of Wutai's greatest natural treasures to the figurehead of their enemy's military might, the man who was responsible for more of their children's deaths than any other? Unforgivable.

Her courage and understanding truly knew no bounds.

Jalei entered the pool and turned to face him when she had reached the middle, beckoning him to her with the 'come to me' gestures of a dancer. Sephiroth was helpless to resist. He waded out into the water after her, his long hair slipping slowly beneath the water one strand at a time.

When he reached her, the Wutaian woman stretched up to loop her arms about his neck. "You look as if you belong here," she murmured. "A god of the silver spring, called forth by the moonlight until darkness gives way and the day comes anew."

"If I am the lord of this spring, then you must be my lady." He stroked her wet hair back from her upturned face, gazing into her silver eyes. "The nymph of the falls, carried to the waters below to join her lover for as long as the moonlight gives him substance."

"When did we become poets, Sephiroth?" Jalei inquired with a grin.

"We always seem to do that when we are alone these days. Perhaps it is a sign?"

"A sign of what?" She kissed his jaw, sending a shiver down her lover's spine.

"That perhaps we are meant for something a bit more permanent than these clandestine meetings."

Jalei leaned back to look at him, speechless. "What are you saying?" she finally managed. Her heart was hammering at the top of her throat; there was no way he could miss it!

"Jalei, I'm hardly the sort of well-rounded, respectful man your people prefer for their daughters. But I promise I'll do everything in my power to make you happy, to be the man you deserve."

Her eyes were twin moons now, wide and silver, as the full meaning of his words hit home. Every teenage girl's walking wet dream, asking what she thought he was asking? This had to be a dream!

Sephiroth took her hands in his, meeting her gaze with his own. "I know I don't have a ring with me. But... will you marry me?"

Jalei didn't even hesitate. Her arms went around his waist and she rested her head against his chest, the meaty pounding of his fast-beating heart filling her head.

"Did you honestly expect me to say no?"

The heartbeat sped up slightly beneath her ear, and then her attention was diverted as her fiance captured her lips with his own.

The sex was slower, more sensual, then any they had shared before. There was no hurry, no risk of getting caught. They had all the time in the world. The sounds of passion filled the night. A soft gasp as he tasted the underside of her breast. A groan as a small hand wrapped itself about him. A moan as long fingers quested between the water, exploring soft, sensitive folds of skin and tissue. A desperate whimper and a possesive, muted snarl as those same hands lifted her, mating her body to his own, a sword to its rightful sheath. The soft grunts of movement, splashing water.

A deep groan of fulfillment. A breathless cry of ecstasy.

And then there was only the sound of water lapping against the shore, as the lovers rested.


	6. Hindsight is Useless

**Summary: **Based off a poem I wrote for class, this is the untold story of a woman from Wutai, the woman who captured the General's heart before he ever knew of Jenova... The woman who refuses to leave him, even after she was forced to move on...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII, I don't own Sephiroth, Zack, Cloud, or any of the other canon characters mentioned herein. Jalei and any other original characters, as well as this whole damn idea, are wholly my own. No excuse for it.

**Queen's Quornor: **C'mon, people! I know there's still a few of you reading this thing! Can I get a review, here? Throw me a bone! So this is supposed to be the last chapter in Wutai, when the sorta/kinda/maybe love triangle Jalei has between Sarn and Sephiroth comes to a head. Sarn has jealousy issues, and Jalei's sick of him trying to control her life. Period. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter, and tell me what the hell you think! Oh, and one small thing. Regarding what I said about Seph's eyes before, I now realize that I had my gemstones mixed up. His eyes are not citrine. They are actually peridot. THAT is the stone I mean when I describe his eyes as that beautiful yellow-green color. So I apologize for misinforming all of you. Forgive me? Oh, and about the Japanese phrase... I have no idea how to pronounce Japanese, so just go along with it, ok? It's supposed to be a way of disowning him from her circle of friends.

Hindsight is Useless

"So you and Seph are getting hitched, Jalei?"

Jalei grabbed the dufflebag Zack tossed her and put it in the chopper, brushing some hair out of her face as she turned back to him. "You had to know that it was coming, Blackspike. You knew about our relationship."

"Yeah, but I wasn't expecting this quite so soon." Zack grabbed another bag from the ground and threw it at her. "Seph's not the spontaneous type, after all."

"True, but we've known each other for ten years now, and been dating for the last two." The Wutaian woman caught the bag and slung it in with the others, shutting the door and locking it into place. There were still a few minutes before they were due to leave her homeland; currently the two First Classes were waiting for their pilot and Sephiroth to appear. "I'll admit I wasn't expecting it so soon, either. But when you think about it, it makes sense."

"Yeah, it does." The purple-eyed man took a swig of the canteen clipped to his belt and offered it to Jalei, who took a grateful drink. "He knows you better than anybody else, and he trusts you. It's easy to see how he fell in love with you." Taking the canteen back, he flashed her a teasing grin. "Seph's got good taste in women. You're a bit on the short side, but a guy would have to be delusional to say that you aren't gorgeous."

Jalei returned the smile and playfully punched his shoulder. "Watch it, buster. I'm off the market now."

"Off the market, Jalei?" The woman flinched as Sarn came around the back of the chopper behind her. "What do you mean by that?"

She turned around with a deep breath, crossing her arms below her breasts and fixing the taller man with a steely silver stare. She felt Zack moving off to the side, where he could get at Sarn quickly if need be, and was grateful for his silent support. "I mean exactly what I say, Sarn. I'm off the market, engaged to marry."

His golden eyes raked over her. "I see no ring."

"He hasn't given me one," she retorted evenly.

Gold met silver, and a challenge crackled between them, visible only in their eyes. "Then how can you say that you are engaged if there is no proof?"

"Because I trust him, and I know he will give me a ring in time. My fiance keeps his word."

Sarn took a few steps closer to her, trying to intimidate her. His bands lingered near the kunai on his belt, his arms crossed in easy preparation for a cross-draw. Jalei knew well his skill with those blades. While most of the Wutaian SOLDIERs had accepted training with Shinra-issued weapons, Sarn had devoted his energies to mastering the traditional knives. "Who is he, Jalei?"

She eyed him, mentally calculating how much time it would take to draw either whip or sword in the event of a charge compared to how much time it would take for him to close the distance between them. "Are you threatening me, Sarn?"

"Not at the moment, no. I am merely inquiring as to the identity of this secret lover of yours."

"You have no right to govern my affairs."

"Your father and mine were formulating a marriage contract between us prior to our departure, remember, Jalei? Were that to have followed through, you would be my wife now. Therefore, I have a right to know for whom you broke terms."

"The contract was never signed, therefore the matters discussed therein, including your right to command me, are null and void." Jalei put her hands on her hips, where it would be easy to get at her own weapons. Sarn's body language did not indicate peaceful intentions. Not at all. "No terms were broken, because there were none to break."

"Is it him?" Sarn gestured towards Zack angrily. "This backwoods asshole?"

"No, it isn't Zack. We are only friends." She glared at her former friend. "You have been a thorn in my side ever since I returned to Wutai, Sarn. You constantly tried to moniter my every movement, told me how I should conduct my own affairs, even attempted to bury my father for me! That, especially, is an insult I cannot forgive. 山の前で、私は永久に放棄する. 'In the face of the mountain, I discard you forever.'"

Sarn stared at her, shock and fury contorting his face before rage took over. "You disown me? You would dare?"

"I do." She stood calm in the face of his anger, her cool demeanor keeping Zack at her side. "From now on, you are not welcome among my circle of friends. There are just some things I cannot forgive, Sarn. You are no longer a friend of mine."

"You _bitch!_" he snarled. "Father was right. All those years among the godless Shinra corrupted you, turned you against our homeland!"

"How does her disowning you turn her against Wutai?" Zack asked snidely. "Your logic sucks, Sarn."

"Zack, stay out of this." Jalei noticed movement behind Sarn, but gave no sign of ever having seen it. "Wutai has never stopped being my homeland, Sarn. As for who has changed, I suggest you take a long, hard look at yourself. The Sarn I called a friend never once tried to control my life, or spoke such nonsense. Furthermore, he spent just as much time as I among the Shinra. Or has your memory decided to eliminate anything that does not satisfy?"

That did it. Sarn reached for his kunai, but before he could grab them there was suddenly a long, thin blade laying across the back of his neck, several strands of his long black hair falling victim to the razor-sharp edge. "Touch those knives, Sarn, and I shall be forced to do something none of us will like."

"General," the Wutaian man gritted out. "Stay out of this. This is a matter of honor!"

"I think not. I will defend my fiance when someone means her harm, as a good Wutaian man should. If you truly cared about her, you would never have initiated this conversation." Sephiroth sneered down at the younger man. "Now. Drop your weapons."

Sarn didn't move.

"Zack?"

"Sure thing, Seph." The threat of Masamune's cut held Sarn absolutely still while the SOLDIER plucked the kunai from his belt, along with the smaller dagger sheathed at the back. Once he was done, he tossed them away, well out of Sarn's reach.

"Good. Now, go get Lord Godo. He must know that one of his own has attempted to harm one of my SOLDIERs, as well as my fiance, one of his own citizens. Jalei, some rope please."

"So you are the one who stole my woman from me?" Sarn growled, offering no resistance as Jalei yanked his hands behind his back and bound them, able to slip in beneath Masamune's blade easily due to her lack of height.

"She was never 'your' woman to begin with. I was her first, and her only. And to answer your question..." Sephiroth moved to face Sarn, Masamune's fluid blade scraping teasingly along the back and side of his neck until the blade was resting on his shoulder, against his fast-beating jugular. "Yes. I am her fiance."

"Silver-haired snake! May a thousand deadly poisons find their way into your genitals!" Sarn spat, one of the most dire curses known to Wutaians. "She was supposed to have been _mine!_ By the word of her father and mine, Jalei is promised to me and me alone!"

Jalei shook her head. "Some things, it seems, will not penetrate that thick skull of his. Leave this matter to Lord Godo; Sarn needs mental aid."

"Too much mako, I suspect." Sephiroth's eyes were hard, cold stone with no emotion save loathing. "A few more minutes, and we will be rid of him."

Sarn pursed his lips and spat, the glob of saliva striking Sephiroth just below the left eye. "She is meant to be mine, serpent. In the end, it shall be so! The gods will not allow it to be otherwise!"

Sephiroth reached up and wiped the gobbet off his face, never even blinking. Jalei, sensing an imminent outburst of violence that would more than likely result in Sarn's head rolling around on the dirt, unsheathed her own katana and laid it against Sarn's neck, gently pushing Masamune away. "Forgive him, Sephiroth. He's not in his right mind."

The silver-haired man nodded stiffly, and resheathed his blade. "Even so, if he so insults myself or you again, it will mean pain."

"That will not be necessary, General." Jalei turned her head to see Lord Godo Kisaragi and two of the Pagoda fighters coming around the helicopter, followed by the pilot and Zack. "So Sarn Tsukaya has been making trouble for you?"

"He is suffering from mako withdrawl, I am afraid. A rare side-effect of long-term use," Jalei explained. "Give him a few days in seclusion, and he will return to normal."

"My apologies for his behavior." Godo gestured for his companions to take the bound ex-SOLDIER. "This does not jepordize the treaty, does it...?"

"No, of course not." Sephiroth glared death at Sarn, who left with the two Pagoda members without a fuss. "This was only the action of a single man directed more by madness than anti-Shinra sympathies. The incident will never be reported, rest assured of that."

"My thanks." And with that Godo left, leaving only the pilot and the three SOLDIERs in the clearing with the chopper.

The pilot cleared his throat, and opened the door. "Shall we...?"

Sephiroth gave a curt nod, and climbed into the chopper. Zack got in next, and Jalei followed, not even sparing a glance at the land of her ancestors.

Her future lay in Midgar, not Wutai. Hindsight was useless.

Even if it was in the form of one last look at her homeland.

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Queen: _At long last, an update! I hope this chapter made sense; every chapter of this fic is a fight with the muses. _

Sephiroth: _Then why do you continue writing it, it it's so hard to write?_

Queen: _Because when I started writing, I made myself a promise. Be it story or fan-fic, I will never leave a story incomplete. Sooner or later, everything I write gets finished. Some things just take longer than others, that's all. _

Zack: _You really need to just sit down and concentrate on one fic at a time, Queen._

Seph: _Or on her classes._

Queen (rolls eyes): _We've been over this before... Anyway, leave a review, if you don't mind. Boost my ego after a really crappy week. I really need it. _

(transmission ended)


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